As you know, we’ve been following an unfortunate story regarding UFC middleweight Dan Miller‘s son, Danny Jr., who is suffering from polycystic kidney disease (PKD) and needs a kidney transplant. The transplant itself is going to cost $100,000, not to mention the additional $10,000 per month in medication for at least one year that is only partially covered by his insurance. We’ve been asking for your help with donations, and you have been generous to the cause so far.
The struggle is by no means over, but we’re pleased to learn that Daniel James Miller has a kidney transplant scheduled for late-January, according to MMAJunkie.com. The surgery was made possible by significant donations from UFC co-owners Lorenzo Fertitta and Dana White.
As you know, we’ve been following an unfortunate story regarding UFC middleweight Dan Miller‘s son, Danny Jr., who is suffering from polycystic kidney disease (PKD) and needs a kidney transplant. The transplant itself is going to cost $100,000, not to mention the additional $10,000 per month in medication for at least one year that is only partially covered by his insurance. We’ve been asking for your help with donations, and you have been generous to the cause so far.
The struggle is by no means over, but we’re pleased to learn that Daniel James Miller has a kidney transplant scheduled for late-January, according to MMAJunkie.com. The surgery was made possible by significant donations from UFC co-owners Lorenzo Fertitta and Dana White.
While this is certainly a welcomed update, let’s make sure to remember two important things:
1.) As fans, we’re quick to point out when Dana White makes a questionable decision. Let’s make sure we also applaud him for standing up for one of his fighters.
2.) Dan Miller still has $10,000 per month to pay for medication for the next year after his surgery. Your generosity is still needed.
For more info on Danny’s disease or the Daniel James Miller Foundation, including how to donate, click HERE. Thank you for your help so far.
Filed under: MMA Videos, UFC, VideosIn honor of The MMA Hour’s brand spankin’ new studio, we’ve booked an all-star lineup for Monday’s episode. Here’s who will be stopping by:
* UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will be in studio to discuss his…
* Middleweight Dan Miller will discuss his son’s recent health issues and how the MMA community has rallied around his family.
* Bantamweight Joseph Benavidez will look back the widely popular “JoBe Awards” and what’s next for him.
Plus, we’ll get a live look-in at the TUF 15 tryouts in Las Vegas, look back at the TUF 14 Finale and ahead to Saturday night’s UFC 140 pay-per-view event, so give us a call at: 212-582-2027, 212-582-2028, 212-582-2036, 212-582-2037.
Watch the show live below beginning at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT. Subscribe to The MMA Hour on iTunes: audio feed here; video feed here. Download previous episodes here. Listen to the show via Stitcher here.
(Editor’s note: The video should be Tuesday or Wednesday.)
If you recall, we posted a story last week about UFC middleweight Dan Miller’s son, Danny Jr. needing a kidney transplant which is going to cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $100,000 plus an additional $10,000 per month in medication for at least the first year.
With the help of a few kind individuals in the MMA community and with the permission of my daughter Abby who created the meme, we will be selling “Chocolate Al” shirts to help raise money for the cause for one week. If you don’t know who Al is, do yourself a favor and read this first.
After factoring in the cost of the shirts, which will be printed for free by Josh from www.TrueFightGear.com, and the price of shipping, we came up with a highly affordable price of $23 for the shirt with free shipping in Canada and the U.S. and an additional $2 per item shipped internationally.
From each shirt sold, we expect to make between $14 and $17 and we got word today that “Chocolate Al” himself, Chuck Liddell, has offered to sign a bunch of shirts that will be auctioned off to raise more for the Millers.
By Mike Russell
If you recall, we posted a story last week about UFC middleweight Dan Miller’s son, Danny Jr. needing a kidney transplant which is going to cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $100,000 plus an additional $10,000 per month in medication for at least the first year.
With the help of a few kind individuals in the MMA community and with the permission of my daughter Abby who created the meme, we will be selling “Chocolate Al” shirts to help raise money for the cause for one week. If you don’t know who Al is, do yourself a favor and read this first.
After factoring in the cost of the shirts, which will be printed for free by Josh from www.TrueFightGear.com, and the price of shipping, we came up with a highly affordable price of $23 for the shirt with free shipping in Canada and the U.S. and an additional $2 per item shipped internationally.
From each shirt sold, we expect to make between $14 and $17 and we got word today that “Chocolate Al” himself, Chuck Liddell, has offered to sign a bunch of shirts that will be auctioned off to raise more for the Millers.
If you are a Dan Miller fan, a parent, or just a person who has a heart, buy a shirt and show the kind of spirit that sets the community involved in this sport apart from all the others.
Since they went on sale last night, over $1000 has been raised towards the cause.
FYI, we also have it on good authority that the UFC stepped up and made a substantial donation to the Daniel James Miller Foundation, but that’s no reason not to donate more to ensure that Danny gets the best care possible. I’d like to think that people would do the same for me if one of my kids needed the help.
UFC Middleweight Dan Miller needs our help.I thought long and hard about how I was going to write this story and at the end of the day I thought it best if I just kept it simple.While most of us carry the pressures of paying bills, performing well at o…
I thought long and hard about how I was going to write this story and at the end of the day I thought it best if I just kept it simple.
While most of us carry the pressures of paying bills, performing well at our jobs and keeping our kids safe and healthy, Miller has all of those every day issues on top of raising a nearly two-year-old son who has a disease most of us have never heard of.
Dan Miller and his wife Kristin will celebrate their fourth wedding anniversary this Friday, December 2, just one day before a Super Seminar will be held at AMA Fight Club to raise money for their son Daniel Jr., who is just under two years old. The Millers have had a rough go of it when it comes to their children as they lost a daughter one day after she was born on March 19, 2009.
During the examination the doctors noticed there was a cyst on his kidney. During the next ultrasound it was determined that the other kidney had a cyst on it as well. At the time the doctors prepared the Millers for the worst-case scenario, which unfortunately is how things have turned out thus far.
PKD is a genetic disease that at first affects the kidneys and later on can move on to the liver as well. The kidneys develop multiple cysts in groups and eventually will inhibit the kidney function. Daniel Jr’s kidneys are about three to four times the normal size for a child his age. According to the United States Library of Medicine, PKD affects nearly 1 in 1,000 Americans.
Life for Daniel Jr. consists of a lot of medicine, shots and doctors visits. He was implanted with a G Tube because when his kidneys were in they were too large and he couldn’t eat as much as a child his age should. His diet was full of protein, fat and a lot of calories. Now that he no longer is fed through the tube, he eats like crazy.
During the summer DJ received 17 hours of dialysis every night. At the present time he is closer to 12 hours. Depending on how he reacts to the dialysis, he wakes up and plays like a normal kid. He loves his six-month old sister, animals and is a big fan of karate. He has his blood taken once a week and has grown so accustomed to the lab techs that as soon as they are done he is smiling and waving at them. At two years old he is a lot tougher than most grown men I know.
Daniel Jr. comes from a family of fighters as both his dad and his Uncle Jim are both in the UFC. In fact, it seems as though Daniel Jr. has begun to recognize his dad when he sees him inside the Octagon on television. Kristin told Dan that their son got excited and was pointing at the television when he saw him. He also recognizes Uncle Jim as well.
The family spends a lot of time together as a family. Whether they are playing with his toys or he is hanging out with his dad, mom and baby sister, Daniel Jr. loves to play, just like any other two-year old little boy. Daniel Jr. loves the family’s two dogs and cats. He also loves his grandparents’ three dogs; he will sit there and watch them intently with a smile on his face.
For all Daniel Jr. goes through on a daily basis he is an extremely happy child and that is a testament to Dan and Kristin, who foster a fun and loving family environment.
While little Daniel’s operation is covered, his great aunt Kathy, who is donating her kidney, will not have her procedure covered by her insurance. On top of the cost of the procedure for his aunt, Daniel Jr. will have to take anti-rejection medicine once the operation is completed. At this time there is no exact figure on the cost of the meds, but the estimate is in the ballpark of $7,500-10,000 per month.
The doctors have told the Millers that it could take a day or two for the new kidney to begin working. If all goes well Daniel Jr. can expect to be home in two weeks. The doctors will be constantly monitoring Daniel Jr, drawing his blood and making sure he is able to go to the bathroom without any complications.
Daniel Jr. will have to take the anti-rejection medication for the rest of his life. Insurance will only pay for three years of that medication, forcing the Millers to pick up the cost. Once Daniel Jr. is old enough and has insurance of his own he will be responsible for the costs associated with the medication.
Even though the amount of money is a lot to consider, the idea of Daniel Jr. being old enough to cover the costs himself brings great pleasure to those who love him. Success brings a great price at times and in this case it is well worth every penny.
So now that you’ve had an opportunity to understand what Daniel Jr. goes through and what he has to look forward to, we can get to the heart of the matter. Operations and medications are expensive as I have explained earlier. With the help of some very caring people who know the Millers we are being given an opportunity to do our small part.
Mike Constantino is the Miller Brothers coach at AMA and is the one who set up the Daniel James Miller Foundation. The goal is to raise $100,000 to help the Millers offset some of the medical costs associated with a kidney transplant operation. On Saturday, December 3 there will be a super seminar held at AMA Fight Club. For those of you who want to help as well as meet some terrific people this is your opportunity.
Just to show you how humble Dan and his wife Kristen are they were not on board with the seminar. Constantino and Jim set things in motion therefore giving Dan no chance to say no.
The morning will begin at 9:45 AM with a welcome and introduction. Along with Dan and Jim Miller, UFC middleweight Chris Weidman, UFC welterweight Charlie Brenneman and Ultimate Fighter alum Andy Main will be in attendance. From 10-12, there will be a no-gi MMA/BJJ/wrestling seminar run by Jim and he will be assisted by the other fighters in attendance. If you choose to attend the grappling-only portion of the seminar the cost will be $100.
From 12-1 lunch will be served with the food provided by the Miller Family. At this time there will also be a meet and greet. Those in attendance can expect to be fed very well and are encouraged to bring cameras so they can take photos with the fighters.
From 1-3 AMA’s head Muay Thai instructor and Muay Thai champion Kaensek Sor Ploenjit will teach many of the sports’ techniques. He will be assisted by the other fighters in attendance. For those of you who just want to attend the striking-only portion of the seminar, the cost will be $100.
If you decide to spend the whole day the cost will be $175. When you think about the experience that is being offered and how important your donation will be, it seems like very little. It’s not every day you get to train and eat with UFC fighters for over five hours. It’s also not every day that you can make a huge difference in someone’s life like you can this coming Saturday.
There will also be raffles and prizes made available. Some of the prizes you could bring home are the shorts Jim wore in his UFC debut against David Baron at UFC 89. Jim took home the “Submission of the Night” bonus that evening. Other memorabilia being offered are shirts, gloves, trunks and memberships at AMA Fight Club. If you are not able to attend you can always make a monetary donation by visiting this website.
A lot of us tend to take the health of our children for granted. It doesn’t make you a bad person; it’s human nature. For me, I know from my own experiences that without the help of some very talented doctors and the donations made by total strangers I would not be here today.
I was born in 1974 with a congenital heart disorder; I had closed heart surgery when I was just three weeks old. I was one of the first infants to have a heart operation–it simply was too risky back then. After more surgery and the implantation of a pacemaker at the age of three, I stand here today.
I am also the father of two beautiful children and thank God every day that they are healthy. I realize just how lucky my wife and I are and I will never take their health for granted. As long as I am alive I will be grateful and I will do whatever I can to help those who are in need.
If you have any questions or need assistance please do not hesitate to contact me. You can email me at [email protected] or hit me up on Twitter, my username is @BryanLevick.
We’re back with yet another installment of Ask the Potato. You know the drill by now. You ask us somewhat serious questions. We give you bitter, sarcastic responses. Those Black Friday discounts we got yesterday have us feeling pretty stoked, so we’re not going to be nearly as facetious as usual. Sarcasm? Only one way to find out…
RSparrow asks: Who’s the black guy that’s always at the weigh ins? Like some kinda hype man, wtf?
We’re back with yet another installment of Ask the Potato. You know the drill by now. You ask us somewhat serious questions. We give you bitter, sarcastic responses. Those Black Friday discounts we got yesterday have us feeling pretty stoked, so we’re not going to be nearly as facetious as usual. Sarcasm? Only one way to find out…
RSparrow asks: Who’s the black guy that’s always at the weigh ins? Like some kinda hype man, wtf?
That’s a pretty vague question, RSparrow. You could be referring to just about anybody. We’ll go out on a limb here and assume you’re talking about Burt Watson. If you’re unfamiliar with UFC’s “babysitter to the stars”, do yourself a favor and check out Ariel Helwani’s in depth interview:
RwilsonR asks: What is the best fight that was never made?
It depends on what you mean by “best”. Do you mean what duo would have produced the most exciting scrap? Do you mean the fight that would have mattered most in the rankings? Or do you mean what fight would have meant the most to the overall landscape of the sport? There are plenty of correct answers to your query, but we’ll start the conversation with two:
Three years after his departure from the UFC, Royce Gracie signed to put undefeated record to the test at Pride 2 against the Mark Kerr. “The Smashing Machine” had yet to taste defeat and was in his prime, and a pairing against the sport’s first hero would have been a blockbuster. Weeks away from the clash, Royce would pull out of the fight citing back issues. A win for Royce would have further cemented his legacy in the sport and quelled talk of him departing when tougher competition emerged. A victory for the hulking Kerr would have served as a true passing of the torch moment in MMA.
When Affliction tossed their gaudy, skull-clad hat in the promoters ring, they used their foothold as sponsors to secure the best free agents available. Though they signed several respectable Octagon outcasts, their crowned jewel was undoubtedly Fedor Emelianenko. In late 2007 Randy Couture broke free from the UFC in a heated dispute, and a dream match-up with Fedor teetered on the brink of reality. Serious talk of the bout began and commercials were even shot before the UFC filed an injunction to silence that noise. It was then that the words “champions clause” first entered into our vocabulary. The bout would have been a coup for Affliction, who hosted two financially crippling events before folding up shop on the heels of a busted Fedor-Barnett headliner, which for that reason alone could qualify as an answer to your question.
Look, we hate to be like that NFL fan who boldly predicts that the Packers will win every week. Even that guy’s mom hates that guy. But sometimes that jackass makes a good point. What we’re getting at is this: Until Anderson Silva loses, we’re going to keep predicting that he wins.
RwilsonR asks (again):Which fighter is the biggestletdown in MMA history? Is it PauloFilho?
Call us crazy, but no- It isn’t Paulo Filho. Sure, he’s now famous for having stupid tattoos, (allegedly) doing a lot of Roofies and pulling out of fights. But back in his WEC days, he was a legitimate top five middleweight who many were saying could beat Anderson Silva. Even though those days are in the rear-view mirror, he can’t be the biggest letdown to us because he actually did live up to the hype surrounding him at one point in time.
Rather, our pick is Satoshi Ishii. Remember when the decorated judoka was one of the hottest free agents in MMA, despite never having competed? Well, Ishii has parlayed that into a decision loss to forty year old Hidehiko Yoshida, getting disqualified from an exhibition bout, “notable” victories over Minowaman and Jerome Le Banner and a draw to the aforementioned Paulo Filho. He’s now rumored to be Fedor’s opponent for his (somewhat annual) New Year’s Eve freakshow fight. Definitely not the career trajectory we were predicting for Ishii.
We’re actually a little surprised by this too. We don’t mean that in a “I can’t believe that selfish prick isn’t going to pay for this!” kind of way; we mean it in a “Dana’s actually proven to be rather generous in these situations before” kind of way. We’re the first ones to point when Dana’s horns poke out of that beautiful bald head, but he’s been known to cover them up with a white hat on multiple occassions. Not long ago, he ponied up to help a young girl get life saving surgery. He didn’t send out a press release to toot his own horn, either. He just did it. The truth is, we’re just guessing that he hasn’t already contributed. Dan says that someone already made an incredible $20,000 donation. Were not saying it came from Dana, but we can’t rule out him stepping up to the plate either.
That’s all for now, folks. Tune in next week as we answer even more of your (hopefully at least kind of) MMA related questions. You know the drill: You can send us questions through our Facebook page. You can tweet them to our Twitter account, as well as hashtag questions with #AskThePotato. You can register for our forums and post your questions there. Or you can just post them in the comments section of this article. Hopefully, you haven’t been asking us questions on that Google+ page we set up, because we still haven’t figured that thing out.
Filed under: UFC, Strikeforce, BellatorFighting and helping seem a counterintuitive combination, yet MMA is blessed with many giving athletes and personalities who are difference-makers in their communities and the world at large.
Fighting and helping seem a counterintuitive combination, yet MMA is blessed with many giving athletes and personalities who are difference-makers in their communities and the world at large.
Many of those selfless efforts go undocumented and under the radar, but in the spirit of the holiday season, we’ve dug up some of the kind works undertaken by the men and women of the MMA world.
This list is by no means meant to be comprehensive; rather, it is a sampling of some of the acts of generosity that often get lost in the shuffle of the everyday news cycle. And it is a chance to say, Thanks.
Enson Inoue
In the wake of the devastating March earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Inoue — a Japanese-American with long roots in the sport — was a one-man effort, traveling through the hardest-hit areas and offering assistance to the region’s residents in the form of clothing, food and supplies, as well as toys to children. Inoue reportedly drained his own personal savings in an effort to bring relief to every person he could reach.
The UFC/Dana White
The UFC‘s charitable causes are many, though they often go unseen by the public and media. But in January, the promotion ran an event on a US military base for the second time in its history, with all seats free to base personnel, and proceeds from a corresponding online auction as well as donations benefiting wounded veterans through the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. The event ended up raising $4.1 million for the fund.
Brian Stann
The president of Hire Heroes USA, a non-profit group that offers job search and placement assistance to US military veterans, Stann — a former US Marine and current UFC middleweight — helps run an organization with crucial importance during a time of economic hardship for many. The group has a special focus on the two demographics statistically most likely to be unemployed: young veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as wounded or disabled veterans.
Alex Davis, Dan Lambert, Joe Mullings
In early January, the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil was hit hard by torrential rains that caused landslides and killed over 800 people. Among the hardest-hit communities was Nova Friburgo, the hometown of well-known MMA manager Alex Davis, along with UFC lightweight Edson Barboza, and others. Davis was in Nova Friburgo at the time and volunteered his time and resources to help, while Lambert and Mullings, gym owners of American Top Team and The Armory, respectively, started Combat Athlete Charities in order to support his relief efforts.
Brendan Schaub
When UFC heavyweight Schaub first visited Brazil in June, he was able to see some of the impoverished parts of the country, and he promised to return with some help when he came back to fight in August. True to his word, Schaub delivered several duffel bags worth of training equipment to a local gym in the underprivileged part of Tijuquinha, Brazil just days before his fight with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 134.
American Kickboxing Academy
Many gyms have long roots in their communities and take part in volunteering, and San Jose, California-based AKA is among the more active ones. Among the groups the team benefits is Turning Wheels for Kids, a local organization that provides bicycles to underprivileged kids. Fighters including Cain Velasquez, Cung Le, Gilbert Melendez, Daniel Cormier and “King” Muhammed Lawal have offered up their time to the cause. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the gym’s fighters also recently volunteered time at Martha’s Kitchen in San Jose, helping to feed the hungry.
Jon Jones
By now, everyone has heard the story of Jones helping to stop a robbery just hours before he won the UFC light-heavyweight champion. But that wasn’t his only charitable act of the day. Indeed, he donated his substantial after-party appearance fee to a charity designed to combat children’s cancers.
Jose Aldo
After every one of his fights, the UFC featherweight champion autographs and auctions off his fight gear to benefit his team’s Nova Uniao community program, which is designed to assist underprivileged youth.
Ben Askren
After visiting tornado-ravaged Joplin, Missouri, earlier this year, the Bellator welterweight champion secured 300 tickets to Bellator 53 for Joplin residents to give them one night of enjoyment. “It’s not a huge gesture. It’s not like we’re rebuilding their houses, but every small thing helps,” Askren said.
Freestyle Cage Fighting & BlackEye Promotions
In conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness month, both Freestyle Cage Fighting (FCF) and BlackEye Promotions ran events on January 1 with proceeds going towards cancer research. FCF’s event, titled “Fight Strong for the Cure” ran a nine-fight card featuring all women, while BlackEye’s 16-fight card was subtitled “Breast Cancer Beatdown.”
Dan Henderson/Clinch Gear
The UFC light-heavyweight gave fans a thrill with his recent fight with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, a fight which was quickly named as one of the best all-time scraps. But Henderson and his Clinch Gear company were also giving back in other ways, pledging to provide a Thanksgiving Day meal to a family of four for every official walkout T-shirt purchased through his website. On Thanksgiving, the company expects to feed over 2,000 families (8,000 people) through the Denver Rescue Mission and San Diego Rescue Mission, and the promotion has been extended through Christmas with additional donations to be made at that time.
The Fans
Few sports have a community as tight-knit and passionate as MMA, and even when you argue, you come together when it matters. Fans have generously donated to a countless number of causes. Among the most recent is the Daniel James Miller Foundation. The son of UFC fighter Dan Miller is in need of a kidney transplant and insurance does not pay for the entire procedure. The Foundation was set up in order to fund his treatment, and the family recently released a statement saying they were left “speechless” following the overwhelming support they have received.
In honor of 
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Fighting and helping seem a counterintuitive combination, yet MMA is blessed with many giving athletes and personalities who are difference-makers in their communities and the world at large.